What is Art?What is Art?

The same?

Insured for $100 million

Hung in the Louvre Gallery, Paris

Print bought for 20 Euro’s

Found in Louvre gift shop

They look the same but are they both art?

What is the REAL difference?

Does it depend on the purpose of art?

Or on the skill involved in producing it?

Or in the way it is used/ perceived by society?

How many of the following criteria are important

for something to be considered art?

What is What is artart??

Arts are a way of expressing Arts are a way of expressing emotionemotion??

We engage in art forms We engage in art forms that generate an that generate an

emotional responseemotional response

Art imitates nature or the worldArt imitates nature or the world??

It takes great skill to It takes great skill to paint a realistic scenepaint a realistic scene

Or is this only Or is this only imitation? imitation?

Photography?Photography?

e.g. Cubism – tries to give a e.g. Cubism – tries to give a truer truer representation representation of nature, although it may be less of nature, although it may be less realisticrealistic

Art conveys Art conveys truthtruth about the world about the world??

Art teaches us what is rightArt teaches us what is right??

Heightens moral awarenessHeightens moral awareness??

Art has to be beautiful.Art has to be beautiful.oor interestir interesting?ng?

““Remember that the Remember that the most beautiful things most beautiful things in the world are the in the world are the most useless; most useless; peacocks and lilies, peacocks and lilies, for example”. for example”. John RuskinJohn Ruskin

Art requires Art requires creativity and creativity and uniquenessuniqueness??

Art requires Art requires technical technical skillskill??

Art has to be accepted as such byArt has to be accepted as such by the establishment of art galleries, the establishment of art galleries,

experts, artists and the publicexperts, artists and the public??

Yet some of our finest Yet some of our finest works of art were works of art were rejected as childish rejected as childish daubings when they daubings when they were created.were created.

Art offers insight into Art offers insight into the human conditionthe human condition??

Art is regarded as a mark of civilizationArt is regarded as a mark of civilization It offers a way to make sense of our natural world, a way It offers a way to make sense of our natural world, a way

to interpret our emotions, and a guide to moralityto interpret our emotions, and a guide to morality This purpose encompasses all previous ‘purposes’This purpose encompasses all previous ‘purposes’

Other disciplines give us knowledge Other disciplines give us knowledge but art broadens our emotional and but art broadens our emotional and

intellectual boundaries.intellectual boundaries.

How can we distinguish art from not art?How can we distinguish art from not art?

Was it intended as art?Was it intended as art? Is it original and creative?Is it original and creative? Is it beautiful? Is it beautiful? – if there are objective standards of beauty…– if there are objective standards of beauty… Did it require skill? – Did it require skill? – did the artist do anything special?did the artist do anything special? Does it invoke emotion – Does it invoke emotion – Does it make us feel something?Does it make us feel something?

Does it imitate nature?Does it imitate nature? Does it teach us something? Does it teach us something? – morally? Socially?– morally? Socially?

Does it give us insight into the human condition?Does it give us insight into the human condition? Does it contain truth?Does it contain truth? What does society think? Experts? The public? What does society think? Experts? The public?

Other artists??? Other artists??? – does it have any authority as Art?– does it have any authority as Art?

Where is the art in this?Where is the art in this?

Where is the:Where is the: Emotion? Emotion? Skill?Skill? Beauty?Beauty? Truth?Truth? Humanity?Humanity?

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living by Damien Hirst

Or is it art only because Hirst and the establishment say it is?

Is graffiti an art form?Is graffiti an art form?

Emotion? Emotion? Skill?Skill? Beauty?Beauty? Truth?Truth? Humanity?Humanity?

Or just mindless vandalism?

Should street caricature sketchers Should street caricature sketchers be treated as artists?be treated as artists?

Which criteria or Which criteria or purposes does this purposes does this meet? meet?

Skill?Skill? Beauty?Beauty? Truth?Truth? Humanity?Humanity? Authority?Authority?

Or is it just a craft?

Do Vietnam-era Zippo lighters, etched Do Vietnam-era Zippo lighters, etched by soldiers, have artistic merit?by soldiers, have artistic merit?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17990247http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17990247

The The next next

step…step…

Look at some other art forms:Look at some other art forms: Is Is photography photography an art?an art? Sculpture?Sculpture? What kinds of What kinds of music music are art?are art? How can How can performanceperformance be an art? be an art? When does a When does a moviemovie become an become an art art

filmfilm??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hhm0NHhCBghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB9Fvax675Y&feature=related